LOUISVILLE – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders urged Democratic supporters on Tuesday night to get involved in the political process and work to resist the current policies of the Trump administration.

Sanders appeared with Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez as part of the Democratic Unity Tour sponsored by the Democratic National Committee.

Perez took a shot at Gov. Matt Bevin in saying why Kentucky was chosen as one of the first stops on the tour.

“As we were trying to figure out where to go, we were thinking we need to go somewhere where the people know where to take on bullies, and we thought Kentucky’s a pretty darn good place to go because you know how to take on bullies,” Perez said. “Bullies like your Governor Matt Bevin. Matt Bevin is Donald Trump on steroids.”

Sanders message to the capacity crowd of 2,500, was to transform the Democratic Party to be a party for all Americans, and he urged Democrats to consider running for a political office.

“We need to open the doors of the Democratic Party to working people and to young people,” Sanders said. “We need to make the Democratic Party not just the party of the east coast and the west coast, but the party of all 50 states.”

Sanders told supporters to acknowledge that climate change is a real dilemma, but also stressed the importance of rebuilding communities, such as coal areas, which have been impacted by changes in energy resources.

“The scientific community is virtually unanimous in saying that climate change is real,” Sanders said. “Climate change is caused by human activity, and climate change is already causing devastating problems in our country and all over the world. So, I believe the time is now for us to aggressively transform our energy system, but when we do that, we do not forget about the people who kept the lights on for decades.”

Sanders implored Democrats to talk to voters who supported Trump in an effort to persuade them to rethink their positions in support of the current president.

“Start talking to working people and say do you really believe, you who voted for Donald Trump, that America needs tax breaks for billionaires and cuts in Medicare and Medicaid, and education,” Sanders said.

One of the biggest messages that Sanders had for his supporters was the the United States could do more to improve the lives of its citizens.

“The issue in front of us is whether or not we have the guts to take on a billionaire class and all of their power,” Sanders said. “I say yes we do.”

Republican Party of Kentucky Communications Director Tres Watson issued a statement condemning the message Sanders and Perez had for Kentucky voters.

“I’m glad Vermont Socialist Bernie Sanders and former Obama Labor Secretary, Californian Tom Perez, could come to Louisville to remind Kentuckians why they’ve elected more and more Republicans,” Watson said. “Kentuckians have roundly rejected the ultra-liberal, anti-jobs platform of coastal elites like Sanders and Perez.

The national Democrats’ embrace of these policies has resulted in tremendous growth for the Republican Party here in Kentucky,” Watson concluded.

Don Weber

Don Weber is a Video Journalist for Spectrum News and covers politics and education on Pure Politics, Kentucky’s only nightly program dedicated to state politics. Don is a lifelong Kentuckian and a graduate of Northern Kentucky University. He spent many years covering sports in the Northern Kentucky area before shifting primarily to politics. You can watch Don’s work weeknights at 7:00 and 11:30 on Pure Politics, available exclusively on Spectrum News, HD Channels 403 and 715. If you have a story idea you can reach Don at donald.weber@charter.com.